Volume 3 Chapter 58 Situation Explanation II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
First, he will give the most desired information.
It has been about a month and a half since Sarah’s defeat.
The Nakash family, who carried out the operation, is destroyed.
Dismissed by the Twelve Divine Generals, Shajar was killed, and the clan’s retainers were scattered.
The talented ones were poached by other houses, while the rest became bandits in the desert oasis, barely making a living.
Sarah’s mother, Talarene Nakash, disappeared without a trace after barely escaping to the east with her followers to Shin…
In the meantime, Sarah survived by fusing with Wraith and had been lurking in the mountains, attacking travelers for over a month.
Regarding the time slip of a month and a half, Kian was able to convince her by showing the request letter from the Châtillon Adventurer Guild that he had.
Sarah should have entered during early summer, but now it’s the height of summer, and she felt a sense of discomfort because sweat would float unless she was away from the river, it was so sweltering.
She was confused and despairing, but after all, she was not an ordinary, weak person.
Her dark expression remained unchanged, but she accepted the facts as they were and asked Kian for a more detailed explanation of the events of the past month and a half.
After that, they told and listened to the events that happened around Izerland in chronological order.
By the time they were almost finished talking, it was close to noon.
”──So, the Nakash family… they really are gone…”
”If you can’t believe it, you can ask the traveling merchants who come and go in Châtillon after we go down the mountain. It’s the time for the summer market, so many merchants gather from all over, and I think there will be a lot of people who know the situation.”
”I understand. I’ll check it out.”
Sarah tightly gripped the cup of warm soup and stared at the fire’s flames in the distance.
”────”
There were no more mountain soldiers by the riverbank; only Kian, Natra, Rufna, Priscilla, and Sarah were left.
Rufna stood near the rapids and rocks, taking care of the surroundings’ vigilance.
Natra stood behind Kian in a ‘rest’ posture.
Priscilla sat on a rock next to Kian, munching on the sausage Kian had cooked for Sarah.
”Lord Kian’s meat stick, yummy♡”
(This Witch, trying to mess with my relationships?)
Kian dodged Priscilla, who was leaning in naturally, and clasped his hands in front of his knees.
”Sarah, do you have any questions? I think we’re mostly done talking.”
”Huh, you’re just ignoring it?”
Sarah sighed and looked up at Natra.
”The Natra standing there, her insides have changed, right?”
”It’s true she’s not the old Natra. Her memories, thought patterns, abilities, and intelligence are mostly the same. ──I’m sorry. I only found out later that she was your precious sister. I also killed Almeisa, Val, and Nia. You can hate me.”
”No. I was the one who attacked first, declaring you the ‘Azrael’s Death Sword User.’ Kian only fought back. Otherwise, you would have been killed, right?”
”At least, if I hadn’t fought back, Almeisa would have killed me.”
”Kian.”
Sarah straightened up, placed her hands on her knees, and bowed deeply.
”I’m truly sorry. Because we jumped to conclusions, you had to go through such a horrible experience. … You were just trying to live your life in this remote place.”
”──Hmm? That’s a decent comment for a politician from the Theocracy family, right? I was expecting a more, like, ‘You are an enemy of God, I will kill you!’ kind of messy situation.”
”Why would you expect that?”
”Well, it’s fun, isn’t it?”
(What a woman…)
Kian was inwardly dumbfounded by the white-haired Witch’s bewildered face.
He knew she had a difficult personality, but she was worse than he imagined.
He wished she would at least keep her thoughts to herself.
’You’re not so great yourself.’
He ignored the ‘glasses’ and turned to face Sarah.
”You are now a fusion of a wraith. You won’t die from being stabbed, and breaking your neck won’t kill you instantly. You can teleport short distances and you won’t age. But, you are weak against divine swords, mithril, and spirit form break techniques. I apologize for making you a being that insults the god Azrael. I’m sorry.”
”No, you don’t need to apologize. If I hadn’t fused with the wraith, I would have been fish food by now, right?”
”But, I worry that I have hurt your faith and pride.”
”Faith and pride can’t replace life. Life is what matters, Kian.”
”If you say so.”
Sarah looked at the fire as Kian made the meat juices sizzle in front of the campfire.
”And you have given me not just life, but food too. I really don’t know how to thank you.”
”No need for thanks. It’s just an old friendship.”
”Old friendship? But I abandoned you.”
Sarah’s fingers tightened around the cup, turning white.
The metal cup almost bent in her grip, and she quickly relaxed her hold.
”I was the direct cause of your banishment. Old friendship isn’t a good thing. I’m a plague to you. If anything, I’m a rotten bond.”
”That’s not true! Are you serious?”
For Kian, the events in Azrael were often painful.
But because she was there, he could survive even in that cursed homeland.
He could not allow the memory of Sarah’s rescue to be denied.
Even if it was from Sarah herself.
”Ah… um, s-sorry.”
”…No, I should be the one apologizing.”
A silence fell between Kian and Sarah.
Priscilla, who had been munching on the sage, turned to them with a strange, grinning smile.
Natra remained silent.
She seemed indifferent.
Then, Rufna, unable to stand the tension, offered a lifeline.
”Maybe we should change the subject?”
”Y-yeah. Um… so, you’ve been having a tough life here, right?”
”My 15 years have been quite a wild ride. At first, I planned to go to the Royal Capital. But I ran out of money, so I started as an Adventurer in East End. Adventurer life wasn’t easy. With what I learned in the monastery, I thought I could do well, even without magic power. I thought I could gather enough money for my journey in about 6 months. But my skills made even fighting Goblins and Ghouls a tough challenge.”
”So, what did you do?”
”Aren’t you hearing from the spies? I took quests meant for new Adventurers to earn some quick cash, and whenever my gear broke, I’d pick up scrap metal or wood from the junkyard to make my own.”
”I see…”
”But I kept sharpening my sword skills without giving up. To survive, I learned other skills too. In that struggle to stay alive, 15 years passed.”
”From that state, how did you become the Kian you are now? You don’t seem to struggle for meals, and you wear such fine gear.”
”Thanks to help from many people. Luck has turned in my favor. I had the skills I honed for 15 years and this body. All I needed was the right stage to make a leap.”
”Hmm…”
Sarah sipped from her cup, looking unconvinced.
To her, it seemed Kian couldn’t rise because he simply lacked the skill, having to live like a beggar.
He hadn’t given her any information to align with what she knew, and he had no intention of doing so now.
This direction of conversation would inevitably lead to empty words.
Kian glanced over at Natra.
She seemed to understand and took a step forward to whisper in his ear.
”Sir Kian, we should get going soon, or we’ll be late returning.”
”Yeah, I might have stayed a bit too long.”
”Oh… I see. My body is getting warmer now, so I will leave Châtillon immediately. First I must ascertain the current situation. ──Lady Priscilla.”
”Yes, yes.”
”I’m really sorry for sneaking in. I don’t have enough cash to pay taxes or fines… but I do have some nice knives in my pockets. I could trade those for money if that helps.”
”Sarah, don’t worry about the money. I’ll take care of the fine with Lord Guy. But do you have a place to go? I just can’t believe you’d get caught by bandits and end up as a slave. That thought worries me a lot.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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